The Winter Solstice marking the ingress of the Sun into Capricorn on December 21st in the northern hemisphere is the shortest day and longest night. Since prehistoric times it has been a significant time of year in many cultures, marked by festivals and rites. Ancient monuments such as Newgrange, Stonehenge, and Cahokia Woodhenge are aligned with the sunrise or sunset on the winter solstice.
Capricorn associated with Janus, the Roman god, is two faced – not duplicitous, but looking back to the old year and facing up to the new. Which mirrors the astrological glyph for Capricorn, combining two opposites – the goat able to climb mountains and the fish swimming in the ocean.
Days may be short and the temperature low, but in olden times livestock were often slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter, so it was almost the only time of year when a plentiful supply of fresh meat was available. Less light, more food.
Whether or not the ingress chart for the Winter Solstice or other Cardinal Ingresses are enlightening is questionable.
This one has Pluto trine Uranus in late Taurus sextile Neptune (Saturn) and Jupiter trine Neptune Saturn, sextile Uranus which is much the same information as can be gleaned from eclipse charts. Plus a Sun Mars conjunction; and Venus square Neptune Saturn.
This ingress does have the warlike Mars MC through Venezuela which may be significant.
The post Winter Solstice – look back, look forward first appeared on Astroinform with Marjorie Orr – Star4cast.
